Security dept. assesses new buildings

This week Homewood Safety and Security completed its site security survey for the Charles and Blackstone apartment buildings, which were purchased by the University last month.

The survey recommends that numerous changes be made to improve security in the buildings including switching the security company from Silver Star Security to Allied Barton Security Service, as well as extending surveillance hours.

At night there will be a security officer in both the Charles and the Blackstone from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., Executive Director of Campus Safety and Security Edmund Skrodzki said. Prior to Hopkins' acquisition of the buildings, one security guard monitored both buildings from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

"We'd have a hole in the donut if we didn't have Allied Barton [at the Charles and Blackstone,]" Brian Dembeck, executive director of Johns Hopkins Real Estate, said.

According to Skrodzki, the survey also recommended numerous changes to lighting, doors, alarms and surveillance in and around the buildings. Specific recommendations for both buildings included trimming shrubbery, installing steel window grates on basement and some first-floor windows, increasing the wattage of light bulbs in and around the buildings, replacing front door locks with access card readers and upgrading closed-circuit television surveillance cameras.

A few recommendations were building-specific. PJ's Pub, in the basement of the Charles, will be provided with an access card to limit access to the building through the basement. Similarly, the door to the basement hallway near the entrance to Niwana will be reinstalled and equipped with an access card reader. Niwana is located in the basement of the Blackstone.

According to Dembeck, every recommendation on the survey will be adopted by approximately June or July.

"Everything [Skrodzki] has recommended on the list, we're going to be implementing at some period of time," Dembeck said.

Hopkins students were consulted for the security plan, as were building residents not affiliated with Hopkins, the buildings' maintenance company and the office manager.

"Some of the recommendations we got were directly from students," Skrodzki said, such as improved lighting, upgraded peepholes on doors and changes to the front door alarm system.

According to Skrodzki, 90 percent of Charles and Blackstone residents are Hopkins students.

"Improved locks would be good," senior Charles resident Kateri Chambers said. "I wouldn't mind seeing them step up security a bit. ... There are always people loitering in the foyer who could come up behind you."

Referring to the January 2005 murder of senior Linda Trinh in her Charles apartment, senior Blackstone resident Leslie Theibert said, "Last year, with the stuff in the Charles, I didn't feel too safe since that was across the street. [Security] couldn't really be any worse than it was."

Senior William Knych said someone recently tried a break into his Blackstone apartment. "But I don't want to give the impression that people are trying to pry into my apartment every night," he said.

He added that he hasn't seen much change in security since Hopkins acquired the building. "They haven't done much. ... They haven't had time to do anything," Knych said.

Senior Katherine McDonough lives in the Blackstone, and says she would like to see the building's basement door fixed. But McDonough isn't very worried about security.

"I know people come around and come into the building but I've never had bad things happen. The worst is the drunks, and they're not really a danger. ... If you lock your door nothing much will happen [to you]," she said.

Asked about the level of security when the buildings were under private ownership, Skrodzki said, "I wouldn't say they're deficient. I'd say they have to be enhanced...We have a different eye of security as what a private investor would have."

"I have every confidence in Mr. Skrodzki. He knows how to make a building secure," said Paula Burger, dean of undergraduate education and vice provost.

The new management company for the Charles and Blackstone is Washington Place Management. Len Frenkil, a vice president of WP&M, declined to comment for this article.